1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a wheel dresser for dressing and truing a driven grinding wheel, more particularly a wheel dresser which is in itself a rotating abrasive wheel, and most particularly to a rotating wheel dresser for dressing and truing diamond grinding wheels.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The grinding wheel dressing tools which are known in the prior art are many and varied.
In some, such as those disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,649 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,813,682, a simple pointed member such as a diamond tipped cutting tool is moved transversely across the rotating surfaces of the grinding wheel which is to be dressed.
Other prior art documents, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,319 show the use of rotatable abrasive wheels for dressing and/or truing of driven grinding wheels.
All of the above-mentioned prior art documents are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application as if the entire contents thereof were fully and expressly set forth herein.
Applicant is also aware of manufactured prior art wheel dressers which are essentially a simple, freely rotating, abrasive wheel which is clamped, magnetically or otherwise, in close proximity to the driven wheel which is to be dressed. Usually, the wheel dresser is positioned such that its rotational axis is offset by some angle (e.g., in the area of 30 to 40 degrees) to the rotational axis of the driven wheel which is to be dressed. Such angular offset produces a certain braking action such that the wheel dresser wheel rotates at a somewhat reduced velocity with respect to the driven wheel which is being dressed. This difference in rotational velocities produces an abrasive action whereby material may be gradually removed from the driven wheel being dressed so as to true the given wheel to a desired contour and/or remove binder material and thereby expose a fresh cutting surface, for example, in a diamond grinding wheel, a fresh lattice of diamond crystals.
In using such a prior art device, the operator positions the device in close proximity to the wheel which is being trued, flicks the freely rotating truing wheel to give it an initial rotational spin and then brings the truing wheel in contact with the driven wheel which is being dressed.
The two rotating surfaces are then translatably moved with respect to one another so as to remove a small amount of surface material and expose somewhat a fresh cutting surface. The process may then be repeated as many times as necessary to obtain the required degree of truing and exposure of a fresh surface.
In using such prior art devices, the operator may frequently place his hands in close proximity to a rapidly rotating and highly abrasive surface, thereby risking personal injury. Moreover, the operator has little means of influencing the degree of braking or resisting force which the truing device exerts on the driven wheel being dressed.